Stoker



March 15, 1932. L. F. CURTNER ETAL 1,849,791

' STOKER Filed June 17. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 15, 1932. L. F. CUYRTNER ETAL STOKER Filed June 17, 192's 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 1932- F. CURINER ETAL 1,849,791

STOKER Filed June 17,, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 15,1932. L, F CURTNERETAL 1,849,791

STOKER Filed June 17, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LLOYD F. OURTNEB, OF CLEVELAND, FRANCIS M. CASE, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE PHANTOM STOKER SALES CORPORATION, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO STOKEB Application filed June 17,

This invention relates to stokers for furdependable in operation and so designed as to be swung freely into or out of the ordinary house furnace without modifylng in any manner the furnace with which it may be used, so the furnace may be fed by hand if at any time the source of power for the stoker should be interrupted, or when it is desired to clean or repair the furnace.

A further object is to provide a mechanical stoker which feeds the fuel into the ordinary firebox of the furnace from above the grates and which also supplies air in the firebox in such a manner that complete combustion of all the fuel takes place. More specifically the invention contemplates providing an air conduit a part of which constitutes the bottom wall of the fuel chute or trough, and from which the air is exhausted downwardly onto the coal most recently fed into the firebox, after it has been pre-heated, the air as it passes through the conduit also serving to keep the fuel trough cool.

A still further object is to provide a detachable end for the fuel trough and air conduit together constituting a feeding extension so that the same may be readily replaced when burned or otherwise rendered inoperative after long use, and-between which, and the body of the stoker, a plate may be secured to form a closure for the fuel opening in the furnace when the stoker is in use.

A still further object is to provide means for sucking out the fine fuel dust which tends to work out between the reciprocatin fuel feeder and the hopper, and for feeding it into the firebox of the furnace.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in all the novel features of construction and combination of parts herein disclosed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation 1929. serial No. 371,341.

of the stoker; Fig. 2 a top plan view of the same 1n operative position in a furnace; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on the lines 55 and 66 respectively of'Fig; 3.

In describing our invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which on like reference numerals are used to designate like parts in the several views and in which 10 designates. a vertical supporting post rigidly secured between the floor 11 and ceiling 12 of the room in which the stoker is to M be mounted.

The stoker designated generally by the reference numeral 20 is supported from the post 10 by a swinging bracket 13, the bracket being pivotally mounted on the post 10 and held in any desired height on the post by a collar 14 on which it rests, the collar 14 being secured in any desired position by a set screw 15. At the opposite end the bracket 13 is" provided with aligned bearing portions 16 in which the pivot post 17 of the stoker base plate 18 is swiveled, so that the stoker may be rotated on the bracket 13 and the bracket and stoker swung clear of the furnace on the post 10.

The stoker 20 includes a lower casting 21 provided with a passage 22 extending longitudinally therethrough and a laterally extending tubular portion 23 to which the exhaust from an air pump 24 is connected.

Both the casting 21 and air pump are rigidly secured to the base plate 18 by bolts or screws 25. The top surface of the casting 21 is fiat as at 30 providing a slideway for a fuel pusher 31 which is made to reciprocate thereon.

An upper casting 32, which constitutes the lower portion 33 of a fuel hopper and the discharge trough 34 for the fuel, is open at the bottom and is secured to the top of the lower casting 21 by bolts 35. The bottom portion of the casting 32 is formed with parallel side walls 49 providing a guideway for the fuel pusher 31 which slides therebetween and forms a reciprocating bottom for the hopper. The side walls of the hopper portion 33 of the casting diverge upwardly and to the top of the portion 33 there is riveted or otherwise secured a large hopper 37 which holds a quantity of fuel. Vertical posts 42 extending between the base plate 18 and upper portlon of the casting'32 together with bolts 43 which extend therethrough secure the casting 32 directly to the base plate and constitute rigid supports for the hopper 37. Both castings 32 and 21 at the fuel and air to which is secured bybolts 45 an extension 46 having a conduit portion 47 forming a continuation of the air passage 22, and upwardly".

and outwardly sloping sides 48 which with the top wall of the conduit 47 forms a continuation of the coal trough 34. Parallel wall portions 49 form a guide for the fuel pusher 31. At the outer end of the extension 46 the conduit portion 47 is turned downwardly as at 50 so that the air when discharged therefrom is directed downwardly onto the burning fuel in the firebox of the furnace.

A plate 53, which constitutes a closure for .the fuel opening in the furnace, is secured between the flanges 44 and the extension 46.

In the front wall of the casting 32 through which the fuel pusher 31 projects, and in the top of the casting 21, there is provided a small recess or chamber 60 which extends entirely around the fuel pusher 31 and into which the fine fuel dust which works out along the pusher as it reci-procates is deposited. This fine dust is drawn out of the chamber by the fan 24 and fed into the furnace with the air. The casing of the fan 24 is provided on'its intake side with a cylindrical chamber which is provided on the side next to the stoker with a hollow boss 66 counterbored to provide a seat 67. An outlet 61 from the passage 60 is counterbored to provide a seat 64, and a pipe 62, which is clamped between the fan and stoker with its ends in the seats 67 and 64 respectively when the fan and stoker are bolted to the base plate, provides a passage through which the fine dust may be drawn from the chamber 60. An opening 63 may be formed in the casting 32 on the side opposite the fan to provide a draft of air through the chamber 60 to facilitate the removal of. the fuel dust by the suction of the fan 24.

The end of the chamber 65 is provided with three openings 68 and a rotatable shutter member 69 held in place by a screw 69. The shutter is so designed that it will close only half of each opening 68,-thereby preventing allthe air from being shut off at any time. The shutter 69 afiords means for regulating the amount of air to be used.

A motor 70 secured to the base plate 18 by screws 71"drives both the fuel feeding mechanism and the air pump, the pump rotor being 6 connected directly to one end of the motor discharge end are provided with flanges 44 of the same when the device is in operation.

shaft 72 and the opposite end havin a pulley 73 for driving a worm ear speed: reducer 75 which operates the fue pusher 31. I p The speed reducer and fuel pusher operating means 75 comprises a housing 76, secured to the base plate 18 by screws 77, having a shaft 78 journaled therein parallel with the motor shaft 72 on which a large pulley 79 is secured. A belt 80 operatively connects the pulleys 73 and 79. A worm 82-on the shaft 8 operates a worm gear 83 secured on a shaft 84 which is j ournaled in the casing 76. On the outer end of the shaft 84 and directly in front of the fuel pusher 31 is a crank 86 provided with a longitudinally extending dovetail or undercut groove 87 in which a headed crank pin 88 is secured by a screw 89 threaded longitudinall therethrough. The screw -engages the ottom of the groove 87 and binds the crank pin 88 in any desired adjusted position relative to the shaft 84 so that the stroke of the fuel pusher may be varied. Aspring 9.0 may be interposed between the head of the screw 89 and the pin'88 to prevent loosening 90 A link pivoted at one end on the pin 88 has its opposite end hingedly securedto the pusher 31 by the pin 96.

In Figs. 2 and 3, the stoker is shown in position in the fuel opening of a furnace 101. The furnace may be of any ordinary design and construction, the stoker being adapted to operate in any ordinary furnace without changing the furnace in any manner. The plate 53 of the stoker constitutes the 010- 9 sure for the opening 100 through which the stoker projects and the regular door for the furnace need be merely swung on its hinges to the open position to permit thestoker to be moved into place. A set screw 102 may be 105 provided in the bracket 13 to engage the post 10 so the stoker may be held securel in place when operating, or to hold the stolzer in inoperative position away from the furnace when not being used.

The stoker 20 may be removed from the bracket 13, by lifting it until the post 17 is free of the bearings 16.

Ininstalling the stoker the post 10 or similar standard is secured in a predetermined position relative to the fuel opening in the furnace. The bracket 13 is adjusted to the proper height on the post by moving the collar 14. With the furnace door open the stoker is swung into thefurnace with the plate 53 against the regular door seat.

With the motor 70 connected to a suitable electric circuit, the stoker may be controlled either by a manually operated switch or suitable thermostatic operated switches controlledbythe temperature of the rooms to be heated and by the temperature of the furnace itselfor by the pressure of the heating fluid if steam is used. Since such regulating circuits form no part of the present inven- 9 tion, further description of the same is believed to be unnecessary in this case.

With the stoker in place, the fuel hopper filled and the motor running, the fuel is fed slowly into the firebox and onto the regular giate of the furnace or bed of coals already built up in the furnace. The air from the pump or blower 24 is directed downwardly on the fuel as it starts to burn or coke, so that an adequate suppl of oxygen is present to completely burn t c more volatile constituents of the coal or other fuel as it is first heated and as it first starts to burn. B supplying a blast of air to the burning uel from above the grate a substantially smokeless fire is obtained since complete oxidation of all the combustible constituents of the fuel is brought about.

By positioning the air conduit 47 beneath the fuel trough 34-48, a continual cooling of the extension 46 takes place as long as the motor is running and as long as fuel is being fed into the furnace and the air is re-heated before it is exhausted into the com ustion chamber. This greatly increases the life of that part of the stoker. The fuel pusher 31 which rcciprocates on the upper wall of the air conduit is also protected by the air current passing through the conduit beneath it, and no coking of the fuel in the trough 48 is possible. The under draft for burning the fuel during the periods when the stoker is not running, as well as when the blower is going is regulated in the usual manner.

By changing the position of the crank fpin 88 on the crank 86, the stroke of the uel pusher 31 may be varied to control the rate at which the fuel will be fed into the furnace.

The fine dust which may Work into the recess or chamber 60 as the fuel pusher reciprocates will be sucked out by the air pump 24 through the conduit 62 and fed into the furnace with the air.

.The stoker as above described and illustrated is a single unit, the only connection between it and the building in which it is to be used being the swinging arm 13. All the parts of the stoker, fan and motor are mounted on a single base plate. No alignment of parts, connecting of air pipes or expensive alterations of the furnace, are necessary when the stoker is installed in the home. The fuel trough and air conduit which extend into the furnace are formed as part of the unit to be swung into and out of the furnace as desired.

While we have shown only one embodiment of our invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the construction and carrying out of our invention, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having tlius described our invention, What we claim is:

1. In a stoker a trough member having an open end, means for moving fuel along said troughto expel the same at the open end, an airconduit through which air may beforced, the bottom of said trough formin a portion of the wall of said conduit, t e inner portion of said trough and air conduit being sufficiently long to extend a material distance into the firebox of a furnace, the air passing through said air conduit being utilized to prevent undue heatin of the fuel trough and to prevent coking o the fuel therein.

2. In a stoker for furnaces, a base plate, a fuel feeding mechanism including a hopper havlng an opening at its lower end and an open end trough extending therefrom secured to said base p ate, means for moving the fuel alon said trough to discharge the same into the rebox of a furnace, an air conduit for supplying air to support combustion of the fuel, the upper portion of which conduit is formed by the bottom of said trough, said conduit bein constructed to discharge the air downwar ly onto the fuel in the firebox substantially at the point where the fuel is discharged, an air pump supplying air to said conduit and means for operating said fuel feeding means and said air pump.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a furnace having a fuel opening, a stoker havin an extension projecting into said opening t rough which fuel is discharged, a plate secured to said stoker abutting the wall of the furnace about the fuel opening for closing the same, a support for said stoker permitting the same to be swung in and out of said fuel opening, said support comprising a rigid post member-independent of the furnace, a horizontally swinging arm pivoted at one end thereto and on the opposite end of which the stoker is pivotally mounted.

4. In an automatic stoker for furnaces, the combination of a fuel reservoir having a discharge opening, a reciprocating member extending through one wall of said reservoir for feeding the fuel out of said discharge opening, the wall of the reservoir through which said member extends having a small chamber through which the member reciprocates, and means connected with said chamber for sucking out the fine dust of. the fuel which works outwardly along the reciprocating member.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of. a furnace having a fuel intake opening, a stoker, comprising a unit swingably mounted adjacent said furnace, said stoker having an extension projecting into the intake opening, through which fuel is fed, a plate secured to said stoker abutting the wall of the furnace about the intake opening and constituting a closure for the openswung into and out of the fuel opening, said support including an arm on one end of which the unit is pivotally-mounted, and a supporting member to which the other end 5 of the arm is pivoted.

-6. A stoker for furnaces comprising a self contained unit pivotally mounted to swing in a horizontal plane into and. out of operative relation with a furnace, said'unit including a fuel supply reservoir, means for feeding fuel from the reservoir into the combustion chamber of a furnace, a blower, means for conducting the air from the blower and directing the same downwardly above 5 the bed of fuel in said furnace, and means for operating said fuel feeding means and said blower, said unit including means for closing the fuel opening of the furnaceoabout the fuel and air inlets when said stoker is in use.

7. In a stoker, a base plate, means for swingably mounting said base plate, said means including a bracket pivoted to a support and pivotally connected to said base plate, a hopper mounted on said base plate, a feedin extension connected with said hop-' per, fee ing means carried by said plate for pushing fuel from said hopper through said extension, said extension including a trough and an air conduit underneath said trough, said feeding means including a motor, a fan driven by said motor and means whereby said fan supplies air to said air conduit.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto afiix our signatures. LLOYD F. CURTNER. FRANCIS M. CASE. 

